The Day He Found the Gun
Chapter 2
She was hospitalized for two whole weeks. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, and I was a wreck. I couldn’t function without her.
And finally, the day came. I heard her mom’s car pull into the driveway and her stomping feet up the stairs to her room.
My heard skipped a beat as I saw her face in her window. She was looking at me but had a blank expression on her face and a bandage on her wrist. I knew she wasn’t better.
That night, I wrote her a letter.
Dear Taylor,
I’m not good at talking to girls if you haven’t noticed. But you make me completely speechless. You’re the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. I’m sorry for intruding in the bathroom a few weeks ago. I was just so worried… I care about you. I want you to live. I want you to be happy. I want to make you happy. I know you don’t know me well but I just wanted you to know how I feel. I will not give up until I win you over. I will always be by your side. I want to hold you when you cry, be there when you smile that perfect smile, and never let go of you no matter what.
Your Neighboor,
Todd
I know I’m crazy but I just don’t care anymore. I want her. She’s the only girl for me.
She was back at school the next day, earphones in, hood up, and silence from her mouth.
Everyone was talking about her.
“Did you hear she’s a cutter?” says one kid
“Oh I know! She tried to kill herself!” said the other.
Then, when she walked past them they pulled up their sleeves and pretened to cut themselves as they shouted: “Look it’s the cutter!”
“Freak!” they all shouted.
I couldn’t stand to see her in so much pain. I ran up to one of the guys and punched him straight in the face. Unfortunately, I’m not a tough jock so all I managed to do was cause him to have a bloody nose. The other guy spun me around and punched me in the gut over and over again.
But there she was, watching. I think I saw a smile in the corner of her eye but then it faded as I blacked out.
I later woke up to the nurse’s face staring at me.
“Ahh here he is. How are you feeling?” she said.
Everything was blurry.
“Uhh…” I started.
My ribs hurt, my head hurt, my mouth was bleeding, and my nose was sore.
“I’m fine.”
I just wanted to get to see Taylor. The Nurse shook her head.
“I think you should go home.” she said.
“No, really I’m fine.”
The nurse sighed. “Alright, I’ll give you a pass.”
I limped out of there and went to History. 30 more minutes until lunch.
I waited until that glorious bell rang and walked (couldn’t really run) to the library.
She wasn’t there. I stood there for a minute in confusion. I sat down at a table and thought about what to do next.
Then there she was, peaking behind a shelf, staring at me and smiling. When she saw me looking at her she turned and dashed away.
I got up to go and find her. I went from shelf to shelf and she was nowhere. Was I going crazy?
I heard a book fall from the shelf next to me. I pulled two books off to see if it was her.
He back was facing me so he didn’t know I was watching. I whispered her name and when she turned around, I dropped my note and walked away.
Later that night, I saw her on the roof, staring at the stars.
School was brutal. All day I was thinking: did she get my note? Will she get creeped out? Will she like me? Will she hate me?
Then I saw her in the hallway. Our eyes met and I saw her cheeks turn red as she started to run through the halls.
I ran after her.
“Wait!” I shouted.
When I caught up to her she was at her locker.
“What do you want from me??” Taylor demanded.
I looked around as if searching for the right words.
“I like you… a lot…um.. and… uh…I”
Her eyes softened.
“Trust me. You don’t want me. I’m insane. Haven’t you heard the rumors?” she asked.
“I don’t believe them.” I replied.
“Then what do you think?”
“I think that you’re beautiful. Everything about you is perfect…”
“Bullshit.” She said
“No…I mean it… I don’t think you’re crazy…please… just give me a chance…”
She sighed.
“Alright. Here’s my number.”
She scribbled her cell phone number on a piece of paper.
“Text me later.” She said.
I smiled, nodded, and gave her a huge hug.
She looked at me in confusion.
“Oh. Sorry.” I said embarrassingly.
She shrugged and walked away.
I love you. I thought.
Later that night, I texted her to see if she’d respond.
Hey.
I waited anxiously.
Hey. She replied.
My heart bubbled up with happiness.
“Whats up?” I asked.
“Sitting in my room alone.” She replied.
Then I thought of doing something crazy. I ran out of my house and next door to the bottom of her window and called her.
“Hello?”
“Look down” I said.
I saw her peer through the window.
“Let me in and you won’t have to be alone.”
She thought for a minute.
“Ok.” She said and then hung up.
Next minute I heard her window open.
“If you want to come in you have to climb up.”
I stood there for a moment wondering how that could happen.
“Well then throw me a rope.” I said.
She bit her lip. “Be right back!” she said excitedly.
Within 5 or 6 minutes she threw down tied up sheets ment to be a rope. I nervously climbed up it.
When I finally got to the top her face was within inches of mine. My heart began to beat faster and faster. I wanted to kiss her soft perfect lips. She noticed me staring at them.
“You want to kiss me?” she asked.
I swallowed hard and didn’t respond.
She smiled at me then helped me up to a safer level. I gave her a huge hug but when I pulled away I saw a tear fall from her face.
“What’s wrong?”
She sniffed, bit her lip, and shook her head.
“Please tell me…”
She took a deep breath.
“No one has ever noticed me like you have. No one loves me. No one even cares.”
I hugged her again and she cried harder. When I let go I cupped her face in my hands.
“It’s ok. I’m here and I care.”
She smiled a beautiful smile.
I wiped her tears with my thumb.
“Now listen to me, no one else matters. People are stupid and cruel. Don’t listen to them. You’re perfect.” I said.
She sat beside me and I put my arm around her.
I whispered in her ear: “If you’ll have me, I promise I will never let you go.”
She turned ant looked into my eyes as if doubting my promise. I took a piece of her hair and brushed ti behind her ear.
“I never break my promises.” I said.
Then I heard shouting.
“Taylor!! Get down here! It’s dinner time!!”
It was her mom.
“You have to go!!!” she said urgently.
I slid down the “rope” and ran home.
And finally, the day came. I heard her mom’s car pull into the driveway and her stomping feet up the stairs to her room.
My heard skipped a beat as I saw her face in her window. She was looking at me but had a blank expression on her face and a bandage on her wrist. I knew she wasn’t better.
That night, I wrote her a letter.
Dear Taylor,
I’m not good at talking to girls if you haven’t noticed. But you make me completely speechless. You’re the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. I’m sorry for intruding in the bathroom a few weeks ago. I was just so worried… I care about you. I want you to live. I want you to be happy. I want to make you happy. I know you don’t know me well but I just wanted you to know how I feel. I will not give up until I win you over. I will always be by your side. I want to hold you when you cry, be there when you smile that perfect smile, and never let go of you no matter what.
Your Neighboor,
Todd
I know I’m crazy but I just don’t care anymore. I want her. She’s the only girl for me.
She was back at school the next day, earphones in, hood up, and silence from her mouth.
Everyone was talking about her.
“Did you hear she’s a cutter?” says one kid
“Oh I know! She tried to kill herself!” said the other.
Then, when she walked past them they pulled up their sleeves and pretened to cut themselves as they shouted: “Look it’s the cutter!”
“Freak!” they all shouted.
I couldn’t stand to see her in so much pain. I ran up to one of the guys and punched him straight in the face. Unfortunately, I’m not a tough jock so all I managed to do was cause him to have a bloody nose. The other guy spun me around and punched me in the gut over and over again.
But there she was, watching. I think I saw a smile in the corner of her eye but then it faded as I blacked out.
I later woke up to the nurse’s face staring at me.
“Ahh here he is. How are you feeling?” she said.
Everything was blurry.
“Uhh…” I started.
My ribs hurt, my head hurt, my mouth was bleeding, and my nose was sore.
“I’m fine.”
I just wanted to get to see Taylor. The Nurse shook her head.
“I think you should go home.” she said.
“No, really I’m fine.”
The nurse sighed. “Alright, I’ll give you a pass.”
I limped out of there and went to History. 30 more minutes until lunch.
I waited until that glorious bell rang and walked (couldn’t really run) to the library.
She wasn’t there. I stood there for a minute in confusion. I sat down at a table and thought about what to do next.
Then there she was, peaking behind a shelf, staring at me and smiling. When she saw me looking at her she turned and dashed away.
I got up to go and find her. I went from shelf to shelf and she was nowhere. Was I going crazy?
I heard a book fall from the shelf next to me. I pulled two books off to see if it was her.
He back was facing me so he didn’t know I was watching. I whispered her name and when she turned around, I dropped my note and walked away.
Later that night, I saw her on the roof, staring at the stars.
School was brutal. All day I was thinking: did she get my note? Will she get creeped out? Will she like me? Will she hate me?
Then I saw her in the hallway. Our eyes met and I saw her cheeks turn red as she started to run through the halls.
I ran after her.
“Wait!” I shouted.
When I caught up to her she was at her locker.
“What do you want from me??” Taylor demanded.
I looked around as if searching for the right words.
“I like you… a lot…um.. and… uh…I”
Her eyes softened.
“Trust me. You don’t want me. I’m insane. Haven’t you heard the rumors?” she asked.
“I don’t believe them.” I replied.
“Then what do you think?”
“I think that you’re beautiful. Everything about you is perfect…”
“Bullshit.” She said
“No…I mean it… I don’t think you’re crazy…please… just give me a chance…”
She sighed.
“Alright. Here’s my number.”
She scribbled her cell phone number on a piece of paper.
“Text me later.” She said.
I smiled, nodded, and gave her a huge hug.
She looked at me in confusion.
“Oh. Sorry.” I said embarrassingly.
She shrugged and walked away.
I love you. I thought.
Later that night, I texted her to see if she’d respond.
Hey.
I waited anxiously.
Hey. She replied.
My heart bubbled up with happiness.
“Whats up?” I asked.
“Sitting in my room alone.” She replied.
Then I thought of doing something crazy. I ran out of my house and next door to the bottom of her window and called her.
“Hello?”
“Look down” I said.
I saw her peer through the window.
“Let me in and you won’t have to be alone.”
She thought for a minute.
“Ok.” She said and then hung up.
Next minute I heard her window open.
“If you want to come in you have to climb up.”
I stood there for a moment wondering how that could happen.
“Well then throw me a rope.” I said.
She bit her lip. “Be right back!” she said excitedly.
Within 5 or 6 minutes she threw down tied up sheets ment to be a rope. I nervously climbed up it.
When I finally got to the top her face was within inches of mine. My heart began to beat faster and faster. I wanted to kiss her soft perfect lips. She noticed me staring at them.
“You want to kiss me?” she asked.
I swallowed hard and didn’t respond.
She smiled at me then helped me up to a safer level. I gave her a huge hug but when I pulled away I saw a tear fall from her face.
“What’s wrong?”
She sniffed, bit her lip, and shook her head.
“Please tell me…”
She took a deep breath.
“No one has ever noticed me like you have. No one loves me. No one even cares.”
I hugged her again and she cried harder. When I let go I cupped her face in my hands.
“It’s ok. I’m here and I care.”
She smiled a beautiful smile.
I wiped her tears with my thumb.
“Now listen to me, no one else matters. People are stupid and cruel. Don’t listen to them. You’re perfect.” I said.
She sat beside me and I put my arm around her.
I whispered in her ear: “If you’ll have me, I promise I will never let you go.”
She turned ant looked into my eyes as if doubting my promise. I took a piece of her hair and brushed ti behind her ear.
“I never break my promises.” I said.
Then I heard shouting.
“Taylor!! Get down here! It’s dinner time!!”
It was her mom.
“You have to go!!!” she said urgently.
I slid down the “rope” and ran home.